Converting device

ABSTRACT

A device for converting the value in a mechanical register into electrical output signals. The value in the register is transferred to coded means, each one cooperating with a number of wires and set to an operative or inoperative position, (being able to cover or uncover apertures in a stationary disc). A rotating sensing finger, comprising optical fibers, scans the apertures in sequence and depending on the apertures being covered or exposed transmits light from a stationary light source to a stationary light sensitive device to generate electrical signals. These signals represent the value in the register.

United States Patent [151 3,668,692 Englund et al. 51 June 6, 1972CONVERTING DEVICE I References Cited [72] lnventors: Gosta RolandEnglund, Stockholm; UNITED STATES PATENTS Richard Reuben Tice,Skarholmen, both of 3,070,303 12/1962 Schad ..235/92 Sweden 3,248,7274/1966 Anastasia ..340/347 [73] Assrgnee: Svenska Dntaregister AB,Solna, Sweden Primary Examiner Maynard R. Wilbur 22 June 25, 19 9Assistant ExaminerJoseph M. Thesz, Jr.

Attorney-Norman Friedman, Stephen E. Feldman, Morris l. 1 PP 836,398Pollack, Arthur T. Groeninger and Philip Furgang [30] ForeignApplication Priority Data [57] ABSTRACT A device for converting thevalue in a mechanical register into June 28, 1968 Sweden ..8847/68electrical output signals. The value in the register is transferred tocoded means, each one cooperating with a number [52] US. Cl ..340/347 P,350/273, 340/357 of wires and set to an operative or inoperativeposition, (being [51] Int. Cl ..G08c 9/06 able to cover or uncoverapertures in a stationary disc). A [58] Field of Search .235 92, 1,65,10; rotating Sensing finger, comprising optical fibers. scans the340/347 A-347 D, 357 DR; 350/269, 273; 250/233, apertures in sequenceand depending on the apertures being 227, 236 covered or exposedtransmits light from a stationary light source to a stationary lightsensitive device to generate electrical signals. These signals representthe value in the register.

9 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures .a W 4am PATENTEDJUH 6 1972 SHEET 3 [IF 3 mmWE mm wHh CONVERTING DEVICE Devices are known which can convertinformation in an Office machine, for example a cash register, toelectrical signals which, for example, can be stored in a storageregister for subsequent treatment in a computer. Such a device isdescribed in U. S. Pat. application Ser. No. 740,175 owned by theassignee of the present application. In this device information in anoffice machine, particularly in a cash register, is transferred to anumber of gearlike code rolls having different decimal digitsrepresenting tracks in the tooth gaps, the tracks being sensed by asensing means running in the tracks and forming part of a photo-electricconverter in which the sensing means, depending upon the binary codedinformation in the tracks, alternately admits and blocks a light rayfrom a light source to a photosensitive device. Every number set on thecode rolls is converted to electrical signals in sequence in that thetrack set on each code roll aligns to form a continuous track in whichthe sensing means will run, driven by the machine motor. In theembodiment especially described in the U.S. application mentioned abovethe light source, being a filament lamp, and the photosensitive device,being a photocell, move together with the sensing means on a runner.With this arrangement difficulties arise in obtaining a sufficientdegree of mechanical strength for the lamp and photocell when the runneraccelerates and decelerates.

The present invention pertains to a device for converting informationfrom mechanical form into electrical form, where the conversion isaccomplished in a new way. In the device of the invention the problemsarising when accelerating and decelerating a runner supporting thesensing means are eliminated in that the sensing means is stationary.Moreover, with the device according to the invention the sameinformation can be converted into electrical signals more than once asthe sensing means is rotating continuously, driven by a separate motor.In the device described in the mentioned U. S. Pat. application Ser. No.740,175 owned by the assignee of the present application, the sameinformation can be converted into electrical signals only once.

Another advantage achieved with the invention is that, in addition toinformation obtained from a cash register or the like, also exchangeablefixed information can be provided in the path for the sensing means.Such fixed information can be, for example, a number for identifying theofiice machine cooperating with the converter.

The device according to the invention is characterized in that means areprovided fortransferring the information to a series of coded means, thecoded means being sensed by first sensing means, at least one providedfor each one of the coded means, the first sensing means cooperatingwith a transmitter and a receiver in such a way that by a secondrotating sensing means, depending upon the setting of the first sensingmeans, the communication between the transmitter and the receiver indifferent positions along the path sensed by the second sensing means isestablished or blocked, causing the receiver to generate electricalsignals corresponding to the information.

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from thefollowing description of an embodiment of the invention in connectionwith accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a mounting plate supporting the converter andbeing mounted to the back of a cash register;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view, taken along lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a number of coded discs being parts of themechanical-to-electrical converter;

FIG. 4 shows a part useful for entering fixed information in theconverter.

In FIG. 1 a mounting plate 2 supports the various parts of themechanical-to-electrical converter. Plate 2 is fastened to the back of acash register by means of screws 4. A shaft 6 (FIG. 2) is, by means ofscrews 8, secured to brackets 10 which in turn are secured to themounting plate'2. Shaft 6 supports a number of gears 12, one gear beingprovided for each decade in the cash register. Each gear 12 is fixedlysecured to five coded discs or cams 14a-e forming a cam group. In orderto axially align gears 12 and coded discs 14 on shaft 6, spacers l 1 areprovided adjacent to the supported ends of shaft 6. The five cams ineach cam group, according to any suitable code and in equally spacedpositions along the periphery, together represent the digits 0-9. Forthat purpose cams l4a-e are provided with cut-outs 16 in certainpositions which will be described in greater detail later in connectionwith FIG. 3.

Gears 12 and thus cams 14 are set by gears 18 in the register viaintermediate wheels 20 supported on a shaft 22. Intermediate wheels 20are extending through cut-outs 24 in mounting plate 2 and are meshinggears 12.

To sense the angular position of gears 12 cam followers 26 are providedwhich follow each cam 14a-e. Cam followers 26 are supported on a shaft28 (FIG. 2), concentric with respect to the cams, and surround aboutthree-fourths of the periphery of the cams. A part 26a of cam follower26, displaced 180 from the supporting end of the follower, retains awire 30 which extends through a guiding plate 32 having separatepassages for each wire. The free end 30a of each wire, dependent uponthe position of cam follower 26, takes a position in which the endcovers holes 34 in discs 36, 37 or a position adjacent to the holes.

The electrical part of the converter is of the photoelectric kind andcomprises a filament lamp 38, a photoelectric device 40 and a rotatingsensing device 42. The sensing device 42, in the following also calledthe rotor, is driven by a motor 44 secured to the mounting plate 2 bymeans of a screw 45. Filament lamp 38 is supported by a lamp-holder 46secured to a tube-shaped part 50 which acts as an enclosure for theelectrical parts. Tube-shaped part 50 consists of two parts 50a, b whichare clamped together by means of screws 52. Part 50b is fastened tomounting plate 2 by means of screws 54. The two parts 50a and 50bbetween themselves hold the two discs 36, 37 which are annular and haveholes 34 spaced along their peripheries. Wires 30 from cam followers 26go through the passages in guiding plate '32 and between discs 36, 37into the positions in which the free ends of the wires cover or do notcover the holes 34.

Rotor 42 is connected to shaft 56 of motor 44 by means of a couplingcomprising a coupling part 58 secured to the motor shaft and anothercoupling part 60 secured to rotor 42 and cooperating with coupling part58. Coupling part 60 has a groove 62 in which a plate spring 64 engages.Spring 64 is secured, at the other end, to mounting plate 2 and byadjusting an adjusting screw 66 the spring can be displaced in adirection parallel to the motor shaft. The displacement of the springpermits the axial position of the rotor to be adjusted as the twocoupling parts 58, 60 can be moved in relation to each other.

Filament lamp 38 is placed in a central recess 68 of rotor 42. In therecess is provided a reflector 70 which concentrates the light from thelamp to a point in which a light conductor ends in the recess. Light isconducted through the light conductor to one side of a peripheral groove74 in the rotor 42, the groove surrounding the holes containing parts ofdiscs 36, 37. From the other side of the groove light is conductedthrough motor shaft 56 to the photoelectric device 40, being forinstance a photo-resistor, the connections to which are designated 40a,b. The photoelectric device 40 is enclosed in an enclosure 78 secured tomotor 44. To prevent dust and dirt and also light from entering theenclosure for rotor 42, filament lamp 38 and annular discs 36, 37 formedby mounting plate 2 and tube-shaped part 50, a cover 80 is providedwhich with intermediate gasket 82 contacts tube-shaped part 50. Thearrangement of the rotating sensing device with the axial input andoutput of light yields, as mentioned above, an important advantage inthat both the filament lamp and the photoelectric device can bestationary. As a result no problems will arise which are connected tothe acceleration and deceleration of lamp and photocell as is thecasewith the device described in the mentioned U. S. Pat. applicationSer. No. 740,175 owned by the assignee of the present application.

As described above each gear 12 is coupled to five coded discs or cams14a-e which are shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. The cams have elevenpitches, ten of which are used for binary representation of the digits-9. Each cam has peripheral cut-outs 16 in the positions where a binaryO is to be represented. The remaining positions which are lacking acutout represent a binary l. The binary code used is a common onecomprising five bits, one of which is used for parity control. Thebinary code is shown in the following table.

Decimal Digit Binary Code The parity control infers that for each digitin each decade the number of binary l or 0" is either odd or evenwhereby a control can be made that the number set in each decade iscorrectly converted into electrical signals. In this particularembodiment, the number of binary l for each digit is always odd and theconversion of a set number of nine digits is controlled, for example, inthat the electrical signals which correspond to binary l affect aflip-flop, the end condition of which indicates if the number of signalsis odd or even. How this control can be performed is known to thoseskilled in the art and will not be described in any greater detail.

In FIG. 3 cams 14a, 14b, 14c and 14d indicate the presence or absence ofthe decimal digits 1, 2, 4 and 8, respectively, and cam 146 indicatesthe presence or absence of a parity digit. The five cams are fixedlysecured to each other and to one of gears 12, and the decimal digits 0-9are disposed clockwise along the circumference, the digit 0 being inposition twelve oclock and with the position eleven oclock being empty.

FIG. 4 shows a comb-shaped part 86 provided with initially five pins 88corresponding to the five coded discs in each decade. Comb-shaped part86 has a hole 90 used for fixing, by screw 52, part 86 between annulardiscs 36, 37 so that pins 88 cover corresponding holes in the discs. Aplurality of combsliaped parts 86 can be arranged along the periphery ofdiscs 36, 37 and fixed between discs 36, 37, as described, by means ofscrews 52. The comb-shaped parts 86 are used to place fixed information,for example register number, in the path of sensing device 44 and parts86 are coded by removing one or more of pins 88.

The function of the apparatus of the invention will be described in thefollowing assuming that the nine-digit number 251843970 has beentransferred from the cash register to gears 12 via intermediate wheels20. Each group of cams 14a-e has then been rotated into a positionrepresenting the respective digit of the number. Each cam followersenses its cam in the position twelve oclock and from FIG. 1 it appearsthat cam followers 26 take upper position corresponding to binary 1 andlower positions corresponding to binary O." In the upper positions thefree ends of wires 30 are positioned adjacent to holes 34 in discs 36,37 while in the lower positions the free ends are covering holes 34. Asalso appears from FIG. 1, only every other hole 34 is cooperating with awire 30. The remaining holes are always open and are provided forgeneration of clock signals for timing of the information signals fromthe holes 34 cooperating with wires 30. The clock signals and theinformation binary l"-signals are obtained when light from filament lamp38 via light conductor 72 in rotor 42 is let through holes 34 in discs36,37 and via light conductor 76 reaches photocell 40, while the binary0- signals are obtained when no light is let through holes 34 in discs36, 37.

Rotor 42 rotates at a constant speed and when the rotor arm in sweepingover discs 36, 37 the digits set in each decade in sequence areconverted into light pulses of two different levels the pulses beingconverted to electrical signals by photocell 40. The continuous rotationof rotor 42, as mentioned above, yields the advantage that the sameinformation can be converted into electrical signals more than once.This is of great importance when information from a plurality of cashregisters is to be transferred to a computer at the same time causing aqueing-up.

The positions on cams 14 which correspond to the set number 251843970causes cam followers 26 to take the positions shown in FIG. 1. Thecorresponding positions for the free ends of wires 30 are shown in FIG.1 for two wires only but the remaining wires 30 take the correspondingpositions in which their free ends 30a according to the code chosen (seethe table) cover or do not cover the corresponding holes 34.

The present invention is not intended to be limited by the describedembodiment but only by the scope of the accompanying claims. Forexample, the construction of the rotating sensing device, or the devicefor transferring the information in the cash register to the wires, orthe choice of code (see the table) might be easily varied by thoseskilled in the art withou departing from the idea of invention.

While a specific embodiment of my invention has been illustrated, itwill be appreciated that my invention is not limited thereto since manymodifications may be made by one skilled in the art which come withinthe spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A device for converting mechanical information into electricalinformation comprising coded means;

means for transferring information to said coded means;

a stationary disc having apertures therein;

elongated means for transferring information from said coded means tothe apertures in said disc, said elongated means having a first positionand a second position, in said first position said elongated meanscovers an aperture in said stationary disc and in said second positionit exposes the aperture in said stationary disc;

a rotating sensing means having an area which scans the apertures in thedisc in sequence;

a stationary light source which illuminates the apertures in said disc;

a light sensitive means;

first light conducting means for conducting light that passes throughthe exposed apertures to said light sensitive means;

said light sensitive means converting the light that passes through theexposed apertures in sequence and represents information in said codedmeans into electrical information signals.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the rotating sensing means includes asecond light conducting means for conducting light from the stationarylight source to the area.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the disc is provided with a circularopening around which the apertures are disposed, the rotating sensingmeans being positioned in the opening and the area on the rotatingsensing means being a slot which, at least partly, surrounds the part ofthe disc which is provided with apertures.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the light source is positioned in acentral recess in the rotating sensing means, the light-sensitive meansis positioned on the side of a motor which drives the rotating sensingmeans, the second light conducting means extending from the centralrecess to the part of the area situated on one side of the disc and thefirst light conducting means extending from the part of the areasituated on the other side of the disc through the motor shaft of saidmotor to the light-sensitive means.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the coded means consists of cams whichare sensed by cam followers to which the other ends of the elongatedmeans are connected.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the elongated means consist of wiresextending from the cam followers through slots in a guide plate to thepositions in which the wire ends cover or expose the respectiveapertures in the disc.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein alternating holes in the disc areprovided for the generation of synchronizing signals so that onlyalternating apertures cooperate with the elongated means.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein comb-shaped means are

1. A device for converting mechanical information into electricalinformation comprising coded means; means for transferring informationto said coded means; a stationary disc having apertures therein;elongated means for transferrIng information from said coded means tothe apertures in said disc, said elongated means having a first positionand a second position, in said first position said elongated meanscovers an aperture in said stationary disc and in said second positionit exposes the aperture in said stationary disc; a rotating sensingmeans having an area which scans the apertures in the disc in sequence;a stationary light source which illuminates the apertures in said disc;a light sensitive means; first light conducting means for conductinglight that passes through the exposed apertures to said light sensitivemeans; said light sensitive means converting the light that passesthrough the exposed apertures in sequence and represents information insaid coded means into electrical information signals.
 2. The device ofclaim 1 wherein the rotating sensing means includes a second lightconducting means for conducting light from the stationary light sourceto the area.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein the disc is provided witha circular opening around which the apertures are disposed, the rotatingsensing means being positioned in the opening and the area on therotating sensing means being a slot which, at least partly, surroundsthe part of the disc which is provided with apertures.
 4. The device ofclaim 3, wherein the light source is positioned in a central recess inthe rotating sensing means, the light-sensitive means is positioned onthe side of a motor which drives the rotating sensing means, the secondlight conducting means extending from the central recess to the part ofthe area situated on one side of the disc and the first light conductingmeans extending from the part of the area situated on the other side ofthe disc through the motor shaft of said motor to the light-sensitivemeans.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein the coded means consists ofcams which are sensed by cam followers to which the other ends of theelongated means are connected.
 6. The device of claim 5, wherein theelongated means consist of wires extending from the cam followersthrough slots in a guide plate to the positions in which the wire endscover or expose the respective apertures in the disc.
 7. The device ofclaim 6, wherein alternating holes in the disc are provided for thegeneration of synchronizing signals so that only alternating aperturescooperate with the elongated means.
 8. The device of claim 7 whereincomb-shaped means are arranged to permanently cover, by means of pinspreselected holes in the disc for the conversion of fixed informationinto electrical signals.
 9. The device of claim 7 wherein four cams ineach decade are arranged to binarily represent the digits 0-9 and wherethe elongated means are arranged by decade in sequence to allow theinformation to be converted in series.